(Note:Woodstock Early Bird needed a better spell-checker this morning! Have tried to update fixing the typos!)
As some of you are aware, Woodstock Early Bird spent some time as an employee of the federal government in Glacier Bay, Alaska. The superintendent there was, of course, very interested in having her employees act responsibly in protecting the resources of the National Park. But, in addition, from her point of view, that meant not just protecting three million acres of wilderness with its glaciers, marine mammals and natural beauty, but with walking the walk in terms of acting consciously within the small compound where we lived called Bartlett Cove. Bartlett Cove is about ten miles from the small community of Gustavus on a peninsula jutting into the northern reaches of the Inside Passage. There is one road from Bartlett Cove to the airport in Gustavus. No other roads in or out. The wider community is a virtual island. So if you muddy the nest, it gets unpleasant.
So, Superintendent Payne supported a superb award-winning recycling program within Gustavus along with a water reclamation project. But most notable to Woodstock Early Bird — and the first time she encountered this idea — was when Superintendent Payne told employees in no uncertain terms that if any Park vehicle was found running without an occupant, the keys would be removed and the driver would have to come and find her. The idea, new to Woodstock Early Bird, was that idling vehicles contribute to air pollution, use up fuel and that although a relatively small impact, we should think about what we are doing. At Glacier Bay National Park you did not want to encounter the wrath of the superintendent for leaving your car running. If our mission was to help protect the nation’s resources, part of that mission was to have as little impact as possible in that special still-pristine environment.
Which brings us to Woodstock. At Tuesday’s Town Selectboard Meeting, Chris Miller, of the Sustainable Woodstock Energy Group, approached the Board to suggest Woodstock consider becoming an “idle-free” community. That would mean we would consider not running our engines when the car is stopped. He said Sustainable Woodstock “believes that reducing idling will reduce emissions from vehicles, enhance our health and save energy and expense.” He admitted, “This is small potatoes in the greater scheme of things…but we’d like to make people more aware of all the energy we are using. The group has signed up for a program run by the American Lung Association called “Vermont Idle Free Fleet Program” which provides educational tools for the such an effort (their emphasis is on air quality rather than fuel consumption).
Selectboard members were open to the “Idle-Free” idea but also pointed out the obvious. Motorcoaches and busses often want to keep their engines going (idling) in the summer to keep air-conditioning on for occupants. Or, something everyone can related to, in winter we often keeping the car running because it took a lot to start the vehicle and it’s now “warmed up” and relatively comfortable inside. However, school busses are already required by State of Vermont law to turn their engines off — not idle — while waiting in a line-up for kids. We also hear that Burlington, Vermont has idling ordinances on their books and that “idlers” are ticketed.
So Woodstock Early Bird is going to think a bit more when she stops in front of the house to unload groceries or “just to run in for something” and leaves the car running. It’s not that hard to turn off the car, put the flashers on (without need of the engine). What a nice idea to not bother the neighbors with fumes, noise or general disregard for our near-pristine Woodstock, Vermont. Many of us are running around with “Be conscious” bumper stickers. Here’s a very personal way to walk the walk. We hardly give a thought to recycling a soda can these days, right? It’s kinda’ what we do. Maybe an “Idle-Free Woodstock” could become just as easy.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 